EXCLUSIVE: Nava Mau, the Emmy-nominated star of Baby Reindeer, has said that the fraught climate for transgender people means the community needs authentic screen representation “more than ever.”
In an interview, Mau said trans people require safe spaces where “we don’t have to contend with prying questions, judgment, hate, and bigotry that often becomes the focus of our existence.”
The transgender star was speaking to Deadline about her short film All the Words But the One, a 20-minute tale about a trans woman, Maya (Mau), who encounters an ex-lover when her partner, Jio (Shaan Dasani), invites his boss over for dinner.
The film cuts between the buttoned-up conversation at the dinner table and the lusty flashback scenes between Maya and her former flame, Santiago (Domenic Kim). Ultimately, Jio’s boss Aisha (Dani Woodson) realizes the history between Maya and Santiago.
The exchanges prove to be “healing” for Maya, who shares a quiet moment with Jio at the end of the short. “Whatever we try to hide inevitably comes out in one way or another,” Mau said, reflecting on one of the motifs of her short film.
The project was inspired by Mau receiving a message from someone who “caused me a lot of pain,” but the story is not strictly autobiographical. Mau said she wanted to create a character who is “very distinct from myself.”
As writer and director, she changed the ending of All the Words But the One after picture lock because she felt her original conclusion “failed” by showing a confrontation of sorts between the characters.
Mau said she was much happier with the final result. Screened at the Queer Rhapsody Film Series, Mau said the short sparked laughter, tears, and “beautiful conversations.”
The film was selected by the likes of the HollyShorts Film Festival and NewFest. It was executive produced by Lilly Wachowski, Bamby Salcedo, Alex Schmider, Sowj Kudva, Shane King Zackery, James Doernberg, and Joie Lou Shakur.
All the Words But the One was one of Mau’s first projects post-Baby Reindeer. The BAFTA TV Awards marked the conclusion of a whirlwind awards season for the Netflix series, during which Mau was the first trans woman in Emmy history to be recognized in the limited series supporting actress category. She guest-starred in the fifth and final season of Netflix‘s hit series You as Detective Marquez.
